Refund Policy

1. Overview

Dockvio delivers technology services — including software development, cloud infrastructure, and IT solutions — on a structured, milestone-based engagement model. All financial arrangements are defined in a signed Project Agreement or Statement of Work ("SOW") agreed upon before any development work begins. This Refund Policy sets out the conditions under which payments may be refunded, partially credited, or forfeited, and establishes a clear process for raising billing disputes. By commissioning services from Dockvio, you agree to the terms described in this policy.

2. Billing Model

Projects are broken into defined phases or milestones, each with documented deliverables and an associated payment. Invoices are issued upon the completion of each milestone. Some engagements may require an upfront deposit before work commences, which is stated explicitly in the Project Agreement. All amounts are invoiced in the currency specified in the Project Agreement and are payable within the timeframe stated on the invoice. Fees are exclusive of taxes unless otherwise stated; any applicable taxes are the responsibility of the Business.

3. Milestone Review & Acceptance

Upon completion of each milestone, the Business is given a defined review period — as stated in the Project Agreement — to evaluate the delivered work against the documented acceptance criteria. During this period, the Business may raise reasonable revision requests that fall within the original scope at no additional charge. Once the Business formally approves a milestone — by written confirmation, portal approval, or by proceeding to use the delivered work — that milestone is considered accepted. Payment associated with an accepted milestone is non-refundable. If a Business does not respond within the review period and has not raised any objections, the milestone is deemed accepted after a grace period of 5 business days.

4. Refund Eligibility

A full or partial refund may be issued in the following clearly defined circumstances:

• Non-delivery by Dockvio: If we fail to deliver a milestone within the agreed timeline through no fault of the Business, and the Business elects to cancel the engagement at that stage, a full refund of any advance payments attributable to that undelivered milestone will be issued.
• Material scope failure: If delivered work demonstrably and materially fails to meet the documented acceptance criteria in the SOW — and the issue cannot be resolved through reasonable revision — Dockvio will assess eligibility for a partial or full refund for that milestone.
• Pre-commencement cancellation: If a project is cancelled by either party before work on a billed milestone has commenced, any payment received for that milestone will be refunded in full, minus any administrative or scoping fees already incurred.
• Billing error or duplicate charge: If a Business is charged incorrectly or charged more than once for the same invoice, the excess amount will be refunded in full once verified.

5. Non-Refundable Situations

Refunds will not be issued in the following circumstances:

• The Business has formally approved a milestone and payment has been received and processed.
• The Business requests revisions or additions that constitute a change to the agreed scope — these are subject to a separate change order and fee.
• Dissatisfaction that is subjective in nature and is not attributable to a verifiable failure to meet the documented brief.
• Delays, defects, or quality issues caused directly by the Business's failure to provide required inputs — including content, assets, design materials, third-party access credentials, or timely approvals.
• Issues arising from third-party services, platforms, APIs, or hosting environments outside of Dockvio's scope or control.
• Work completed during the notice period of a Business-initiated termination.
• Refund requests raised more than 14 days after the delivery date of the relevant milestone.

6. Deposits & Retainers

Where a project requires an upfront deposit or a monthly retainer, the following applies:

• Deposits: Deposits secure project slot availability and initiate the scoping process. If the Business cancels before any work begins, 50% of the deposit will be refunded to cover administrative costs. If scoping or discovery work has commenced, deposits are non-refundable.
• Monthly retainers: Retainers are charged for reserved capacity and ongoing managed services. Unused capacity within a retainer period is not refundable. Retainer agreements may be cancelled with the notice period stated in the agreement, after which no further charges apply.

7. Project Cancellation & Wind-Down

If either party terminates an engagement mid-project:

• The Business is liable for payment of all work completed and all costs incurred up to the effective date of cancellation.
• Dockvio will issue a final invoice accounting for work completed against the cancellation date.
• Where advance payments exceed the value of work completed at the time of cancellation, the surplus will be calculated and refunded within 10 business days of cancellation being confirmed in writing by both parties.
• All completed and fully paid deliverables will be transferred to the Business. Partially paid deliverables will be withheld until all outstanding balances are settled.

8. Raising a Refund Request or Billing Dispute

To raise a refund request or dispute a charge, contact us in writing at [email protected] within 14 days of the relevant invoice date or milestone delivery date. Your communication must include:

• Your full name, company name, and project reference number.
• The specific invoice or milestone the dispute relates to.
• A clear description of the issue and the outcome you are seeking.
• Any supporting documentation or evidence.

Upon receipt, Dockvio will acknowledge your request within 2 business days. We will review the SOW, delivery records, communications, and invoice history and provide a formal written response within 5 business days. If the claim is upheld, a resolution — either a refund, credit, or revised invoice — will be agreed and processed promptly.

9. Refund Processing

Approved refunds will be processed to the original payment method used for the transaction. Refunds will be processed within 2–3 business days from the date of approval. Dockvio is not responsible for delays caused by banking institutions. If a refund cannot be made to the original method due to account closure or similar circumstances, we will arrange an alternative method.

10. Chargebacks

We encourage clients to contact us directly to resolve billing disputes before initiating a chargeback with their bank or payment provider. Chargebacks initiated without prior notice may result in the suspension of account access and ongoing services while the dispute is investigated. If a chargeback is filed for a payment that Dockvio determines to have been correctly charged and earned, we reserve the right to provide evidence to the payment provider and pursue recovery of the funds plus any associated chargeback fees.

11. Amendments to This Policy

Dockvio reserves the right to update this Refund Policy at any time. Changes will be published on this page with an updated effective date. For active engagements, the refund terms in your signed Project Agreement take precedence. If no Project Agreement exists, the version of this policy in effect at the time the engagement commenced applies.

12. Contact

For all refund requests, billing queries, or financial dispute resolution, contact our accounts team at [email protected]. Please include your project reference and relevant invoice numbers in all correspondence to ensure a prompt response.